A Reception Wing Behind the Shop
The Kawamoto Family Residence Annex (川本家住宅離れ) is a detached reception wing of 1941 in Kamiizumicho, Ibaraki City, Osaka Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on April 25, 2014 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 55 square metres, with a connecting corridor; registration number 27-0581.
Two Rooms at the End of a Corridor
The Kawamoto Family Residence Annex stands behind the shop and main house, reached by a covered corridor (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Its hip-and-gable roof has a slight upward curve and is laid with interlocking pantiles.
Inside, an eight-mat room and a six-mat room sit side by side from east to west, wrapped by a veranda (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It was a place for receiving guests, a step away from the business at the front; Ibaraki City calls it a detached shoin reception building.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency for Cultural Affairs registered the Kawamoto Family Residence Annex for its contribution to the historic landscape, noting the inventive fittings around the alcoves and the generous use of prized timber.
Ibaraki City describes it as a lavish building with the finest detailing and costly figured woods, and counts it, with the shop and main house, as a fine piece of modern Japanese-style architecture.
What to Look For
The highlight is the eight-mat room. Its Tokonoma alcove is flanked by staggered shelves on one side and a biwa-dana, a low raised shelf, on the other, with an unusually wide built-in writing desk (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The six-mat room has its own alcove and shelves, and both rooms use a great deal of figured timber.
Visiting
The Kawamoto Family Residence Annex sits behind the shop and main house and cannot be seen from the street. It is part of a private home and is not open on a regular basis.
Q&A
- When was the Kawamoto Family Residence Annex built?
- In 1941 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is special about the Kawamoto Family Residence Annex?
- The eight-mat room, with staggered shelves and a biwa-dana on either side of the alcove and a wide built-in writing desk, all in fine timber (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is the Kawamoto Family Residence Annex connected to the main house?
- By a covered corridor from the back of the shop and main house (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I visit the Kawamoto Family Residence Annex?
- It is part of a private home and is not open on a regular basis; it is not visible from the street.
- When was the Kawamoto Family Residence Annex registered?
- On April 25, 2014 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Kawamoto Family Residence Annex (川本家住宅離れ) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1167 Kamiizumicho, Ibaraki City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2014/04/25 (Heisei 26) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, tiled roof, building area 55 m², with connecting corridor |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not regularly open (not visible from the street) |
References
- Kawamoto Family Residence Annex (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010005
- Kawamoto Family Residence Annex (Cultural Heritage Online, Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/260472
- Bunkazai Meguri Vol. 109: Kawamoto Family Residence (Koho Ibaraki, June 2015, Ibaraki City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.ibaraki.osaka.jp/koho/kohohtml/1506/06/21.html
Last verified: 2026.11.06
